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Kipping Without Crashing: How to Bulletproof Your Shoulders for CrossFit
- Dr. Ben Moore
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
Kipping Isn't the Problem. Poor Prep Is.
Kipping pull-ups. Love them or hate them, they’re a CrossFit staple. They offer efficiency, rhythm, and a way to crank out more reps when fatigue sets in. But here’s the catch: done wrong or without proper prep, they can wreck your shoulders.
At EVO Performance Therapy, we’re not here to villainize kipping. We’re here to help you own it—with strong, stable, mobile shoulders that can handle the demands of high-volume gymnastics work.
Because kipping doesn’t cause injuries. Poor mechanics, weak links, and lack of control do.
More Than Just a Pull-Up: What Kipping Demands of Your Shoulders
Let’s talk about what’s really happening when you kip.
You’re not just pulling yourself up. You’re generating momentum, swinging through extreme ranges of motion, absorbing load through your shoulders, and transitioning quickly from stretch to contraction—over and over.
The shoulder is a highly mobile joint. It gives you the freedom to lift, swing, and move in nearly every direction. But that freedom comes at a cost: less stability.
Key players in shoulder health during kipping:
Rotator cuff: stabilizes the shoulder joint through dynamic movement
Scapular stabilizers: control the shoulder blade so your shoulder joint functions correctly
Labrum: cartilage ring that provides additional shoulder joint stability
When these systems aren’t pulling their weight, kipping becomes dangerous—fast.
The Real Reasons Kipping Wrecks Shoulders
Let’s clear something up: If your shoulder hurts when you kip, it’s not just because kipping is "bad."
It’s likely because something else is missing.
1. You Don’t Have Enough Strict Strength
This is non-negotiable.
If you can’t do at least a few solid strict pull-ups with control, you’re not ready to kip. Kipping without strict strength is like jumping into a sprint without learning how to walk.
Red flags:
No eccentric control (can't lower slowly)
Can't hold an active hang
2. Your Mechanics Are Off
Hip-dominant kip: If your kip is all hips and no shoulder control, you’re dumping force into vulnerable tissue.
Lack of hollow/arch control: Without good core and shoulder coordination, you’ll swing out of control.
Passive hanging: Letting your shoulders hang instead of actively engaging? That’s a one-way ticket to impingement.
3. Your Shoulders Are Too Stiff
Without full overhead range (flexion + external rotation), you’re compensating with your low back or forcing unstable positions.
4. Your Strength Is Imbalanced
Weak rotator cuff, lazy scapular stabilizers, tight lats or pecs. These imbalances create stress where your shoulder isn’t equipped to handle it.
5. You’re Doing Too Much, Too Fast
High-rep kipping pull-ups before your shoulders are conditioned for the volume = injuries waiting to happen.
6. You Skip the Warm-Up (Or Recovery)
Your shoulders need to earn the right to kip. That means prepping properly and recovering smart.
7. You Have an Old Injury You Never Fully Recovered From
That old tweak? It’s likely a ticking time bomb if you haven’t addressed the root cause.
Bulletproofing Your Shoulders: The EVO Game Plan
Kipping isn’t just a skill. It’s a demand on your whole kinetic chain. To protect your shoulders, you need strength, mobility, and precision.
1. Build Strict Strength First
Earn your kip.
Strict pull-ups and muscle-ups
Eccentric control: 3-5 second negatives
Scapular pull-ups
2. Dial In Your Mechanics
Practice hollow/arch on the ground
Master kip swings before adding pulls
Lead with the shoulders, not just the hips
3. Improve Shoulder Mobility
PVC pass-throughs and banded dislocations
Thoracic spine mobility drills
Pec and lat release
4. Train the Right Muscles
Rotator cuff: External rotations, "no money" drill
Scapular stabilizers: Band pull-aparts, YTWLs, face pulls
Overhead control: KB bottoms-up press, single-arm carries
5. Recover Like It Matters
Foam roll, soft tissue work
Rest days
Quality fuel and hydration
When to Call EVO
Kipping shoulder pain isn’t something to ignore.
Reach out if you:
Feel persistent shoulder discomfort during/after workouts
Notice a sharp "pinch" or pop in the shoulder
Can’t do what you used to
Aren’t getting better with self-care
At EVO, we go beyond rehab. We help CrossFit athletes:
Decode shoulder mechanics with expert movement assessments
Restore mobility and fix imbalances
Build true strength and resilience
Return to full training with confidence
Stronger Shoulders = Smarter Kipping
Don’t let your shoulders be the weak link in your performance.
Train smarter. Move stronger. And kip with confidence.